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Aug. 11, 1925. 1,548,923

L. E. WILSON SHOVEL HANDLE Filed March 26, 1925 VEN TOR. 5 74 4% A'TTORNEY Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS E. WILSON, OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO BALDWIN TOOL WORKS, O'F PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

SHOVEL HANDLE.

Application filed March 26, 1925.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS E. lVILsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parkersburg, in the county of lVood and State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shovel Handles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in D handles for shovels, spades, and other similar tools having wooden handles of the general class illustrated in prior patents of Walter No. 601,690, April 5, 1898, for tool handles, and Jones No. 967,197, August 16, 1910, for handle for shovels, etc.

The object in view is to provide a metallic reinforcing and protecting bracket connection between the terminals of the bifurcated members of the main shank or stem of the tool and the cross connecting handle or grip portion, as hereinafter described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the handle, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a perspective detail view of the retaining ring;

Fig. 3 is an inner face view of the connecting joint member, including the separate ring;

Fig. 4 is a detail of one end of the hand grip.

The main shank or stem 2 is split centrally for a distance suflicient for spreading apart the side members 3, 3, which preferably curve and taper towards their ends for embracing connection with the intervening cylindrical hand grip or handle 4.

Said grip member 4 is annularly stepped .to provide a reduced portion 5 intermediate the full diameter and a further reduced end portion 6, with an intervening shoulder 7 and an innermost shoulder 8. The portion 5 is reduced just sufficiently toreceive the inner end of a surrounding separate continuously uniform integral ring 9 and to provide a bearing therefor for about onehalf its width, so that, when in place, the ring shall be flush with the outer surfaces of the grip, as shown.

Connecting each side member 3 with the grip is a curved and rounded piece of sheet or plate metal 10, the upper portion of which is cupped as at 11 to fit over and completely cover the rounded terminal of arm 3 at each side. The inner portion of said ter- Serial No. 18,466.

minal is crimped inwardly as at 12, so as to fit inside the outer portion of ring 9 by extension 13, as in Fig. 1, and to extend beyond the ring substantially flush with its outer surface around the upper and side portions of the handle, leaving a continuously smooth rounded surface throughout. As shown in Fig. 3, the extension 13 embraces about three quarters of the circumference of the reduced end of the grip bar 4 so as to completely cover the grip end beyond the edges of the side members 3.

The inwardly crimped extension 13 is generally circular, of approximately threefourths of a complete cylindrical comparatively short band, and adapted to extend inwardly within the ring 9 and around the outer reduced and shouldered terminal 6. Finally, a bolt 14 extends through the pieces 10, through both terminals of arms 3, and the grip 4, and is riveted at its outer ends, thus securely holding the parts together.

The bolt 14 is preferably offset or eccentric to the center of the grip, so as to prevent it from turning. Additional rivets 15 secure the lower ends of pieces 10 to the side members 3, and the main stem is further reinforced against splitting by another rivet 16.

The construction of the handle will be clearly understood from the foregoing description. By using the separate integral rings 9, which may conveniently be made of sections of seamless tubing of uniform width, embracing the grip terminal by their inner portions and the corner frame portions 13 by their outer portions, the whole construction is very strongly held together, assisted by the continuous bolt 14. Another advantage is that any special retaining power in the corner brackets themselves to hold the grip is unnecessary because of the strong separate ferrules or rings 9.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A D handle composed of a main bifurcated stem providing side arms, a handle grip between the arms having a separate continuously uniform retaining ring surrounding each end, and a corner bracket of rounded sheet metal embracing the outer portion of each side arm and completely covering its top and having an inner partcircular edge fitting around the end of the grip inside the ring.

2. A D' handle composed of a main bifurcated stem providing side arms, a handle grip between the arms having a separate retaining ring surrounding each end, a corner bracket of rounded sheet metal embracing the outer portion of each side arm and having an inner part-circular edge fitting around the major circumferential portion of the end of the grip inside the ring, and a transverse connecting bolt extending through the corner brackets, side arms and grip' and riveted at its ends.

3. The combination with the divided ends of a main stem, of an intervening handle grip, corner brackets embracing the outer portions of said ends and the ends of the handle grip, separate integral rings oi continuously uniform Width surrounding the outer portions of each end of the handle grip and the inwardly extending portions of the corner brackets, and a connecting bolt extending through the brackets, the handle stem ends, and the handle grip, and riveted at its ends.

in testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

Louis E. WiLsoN. 

